2 Chronicles 10:12-19: a reflection

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.” 13The king answered them roughly; and King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men, 14and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 15So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was brought about by God, that the LORD might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel departed to their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.

When the people ask the new king Rehoboam to lighten the heavy burdens his father had laid on them, Rehoboam faces a choice of counsel. The older, experienced men advise him to answer the people gently, and so win their lasting loyalty. But Rehoboam rejects their counsel, listens instead to the young men who advise harshness, and answers the people roughly: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. The result of his harshness and his rejection of wise counsel is disastrous: the people rebel, and the kingdom is torn in two.

Notice what Rehoboam's harshness and rejection of wise counsel cost him. He was advised, by those with experience, to answer gently, and would have kept the people's loyalty; a gentle answer would have secured his kingdom. But he chose harshness, rejecting the wise counsel for the flattering advice of the young, and his harsh answer drove the people to rebellion. His harshness, and his refusal to heed wise counsel, cost him most of his kingdom. A gentle answer would have held the people; a harsh one lost them.

That is worth taking to heart, for harshness and the rejection of wise counsel can cost us dearly too. We can answer others harshly when a gentle answer would win them, and reject wise counsel for advice that flatters our preferences; and such harshness and folly can cost us relationships, loyalty, much that a gentler and wiser course would have kept. Do not answer harshly where a gentle answer would win others, nor reject wise counsel for advice that merely flatters what you already want; harshness and the rejection of wisdom cost Rehoboam his kingdom. Choose the gentle answer over the harsh one, and heed wise counsel over flattering advice, remembering how Rehoboam's harshness and his rejection of the wise old men's counsel tore his kingdom in two. A gentle answer and a readiness to heed wise counsel keep what harshness and folly would lose.

Lord, when the people asked the new king Rehoboam to lighten the heavy burdens his father had laid on them, he faced a choice of counsel. The older, experienced men advised him to answer gently, and so win their lasting loyalty. But Rehoboam rejected their counsel, listened to the young men who advised harshness, and answered roughly: my father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. The result was disastrous: the people rebelled, and the kingdom was torn in two. Show me what Rehoboam's harshness and rejection of wise counsel cost him. A gentle answer would have secured his kingdom; but he chose harshness, rejecting the wise counsel for flattering advice, and his harsh answer drove the people to rebellion. A gentle answer would have held the people; a harsh one lost them. Take that to my heart, for harshness and the rejection of wise counsel can cost me dearly too. I can answer others harshly when a gentle answer would win them, and reject wise counsel for advice that flatters my preferences; and such harshness can cost me relationships, loyalty, much a gentler course would have kept. Keep me from answering harshly where a gentle answer would win others, and from rejecting wise counsel for advice that merely flatters what I already want. Help me choose the gentle answer over the harsh one, Lord, and heed wise counsel over flattering advice, remembering how Rehoboam's harshness tore his kingdom in two.